Danilo Caymmi and Stacey Kent sing Tom Jobim without piano, but with lots of flutes
The articles written by the PÚBLICO Brasil team are written in the variant of the Portuguese language used in Brazil.
Free access: download the PÚBLICO Brasil application at Android or IOS.
The singers Danilo Caimmi and Stacey Kent bring the show back to Portugal A Tone About Jobim in a single performance, at Casa da Música in Porto, on October 23rd. Two years ago, they performed two shows in the country. From Portugal, the concert heads to London. In conversation with PÚBLICO Brasil, Caymmi says it will be a Tom Jobim no piano, but lots of flutes. He accompanied the Brazilian maestro, joining Banda Nova from 1983 until his death. “I played the flute with Banda Nova, which accompanied Tom Jobim. And I ended up being asked to sing by Tom himself. I have the privilege of having my family’s timbre. From my father and mother, who was also a great singer”, he remembers.
Going back in time, to 1968, Caymmi, a young architecture student in Rio de Janeiro, was already a composer and instrumentalist, when he composed a song that remains in the charts and is a hit to this day, Walk. The song, written in partnership with Edmundo Souto and Paulinho Tapajós, came in third place at the Song Festival that year and launched singer Beth Carvalho.
With the explosion of WanderingDanilo abandoned his architecture course last year and dedicated himself to a career as a composer and instrumentalist. “I started working as a flutist with Edu Lobo. Afterwards, I became very good friends with the people from Clube da Esquina, Milton Nascimento, with whom I recorded all the group’s albums. Milton brilliantly recorded a composition of mine called My Boy“, remember.
Not only. “I recorded as a flutist on Milton’s first album and several important albums, for example, with Simone, the Face a Faceand with Sarah Vaughan, when she was in Brazil. I have a long history as a flutist. Also as a soundtrack composer. But, in a way, Tom discovered me as a singer. This forced me to study a new instrument. And, from then on, I continued and consolidated myself”, he states.
Jobim started to suggest the songs he would like to hear in Danilo’s voice at his shows. “It was a huge responsibility for me in the band, working with this repertoire. And, thank God, he really liked my interpretation of his work, the things I sang. For this show, me and Stacey We talked a lot about interpretation and how to approach certain songs. She is a wonderful interpreter”, he says.
The meeting of voices
Danilo and the American singer met in person, when Stacey participated in the recording of the album Danilo Sings Tom Jobim and performed together Sun Road. Stacey Kent sings in Portuguese, English and French. Caymmi is full of praise for her companion on the show.
“I’m very focused on this work with Stacey. I’m a fan of hers. We talked a lot about interpretation and the approach to certain songs. It’s all very studied. But what really matters is the emotion, the concentration, the beauty of the music and the lyrics of these songs. Lyrics by Tom and Vinícius”, he says.
Regarding the show at Casa da Música do Porto, Danilo Caymmi praises the architecture and acoustics of the room. “The theater is impressive. I walked with Tom to important theaters all over the world. But the acoustics and infrastructure of Casa da Música are very good. And, above all, the audience is really cool. I feel very comfortable in Portugal. There are no barriers”, he points out. And he adds: “I’m not much for leaving Brazil, but Portugal is very easy for me. I’m very happy in these wonderful theaters and with the musicians who work with us. It makes you want to take them to Brazil, but the costs are high.”
Accompanying the singers at the show in Porto are musicians James Tomlinson (saxophone), Tatiana Mafalda (cello), Flávio Mendes (guitar), Rui Miguel Maia and Mariana Inácio (flutes). After a quick visit to Europe, the duo heads to Brazil, where they sing in some cities and record a live album.
“At the end of November, we should do some concerts in Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro and, perhaps, Brasília and São Paulo. I’m very happy that the Brazilian public gets to know Stacey more deeply. I even recommend that you listen to her interpretation of Waters of March. It seems simple, but it is an extremely difficult song and she does it beautifully”, he concludes.
